GIRL GROUP | jjk

Chapter 33

I've never seen Heart Seonsaengnim cry.

When I enter the unfamiliar room on the seventh floor, the first thing I notice is the tears welling up in my dance instructor's eyes. She's dressed in a sleek black tracksuit, her hair in a low ponytail. She meets my eyes and tries to smile.

Then I find Caren Seonsaengnim, in her conservative blouse and long denim skirt. Her expression is indiscernible, but I'm sure some sort of emotions were vocalized in this room. The air definitely thickens as I walk in, making it harder to breathe.

My two instructors called me to this room for an impromptu meeting. I'm not sure why this room....

Then it hits me—the same notes of wood and citrus. The room is decorated with purple LEDs, with a sizable speaker and two MIDI keyboards. It's small and cozy in here, a Calvin Klein sweatshirt draped over the dark blue couch for two. A small acoustic guitar lies against the wall, a simple circular white rug over the dark gray carpet.

It's Jungkook's studio.

"Why did you call me here?" I ask, trying to add the proper honorifics for my teachers. It should be second nature by now, but I'm losing almost all of my prudence simply by stepping into this room.

"Well, we told you we wanted to go over your performance," Caren Seonsaengnim says. "But."

"But I'm sure you can guess that's not what you're here for," Heart Seonsaengnim finishes.

I stand still, not sure whether or not to listen to my gut and turn around. But two years in Moonscape ingrained a deep respect for my teachers, to trust that they had the best intentions for my career. I rarely see my dance and vocal instructors mixing, unless there's a crucial performance coming up. Now, it feels wrong—especially with the evidence of Jungkook all around us.

"What am I here for?" I ask, when I can't bear the tension any longer.

"We wanted to try to convince you of something," Caren Seonsaengnim says. "Heart Seonsaengnim and I both agree on one thing, which happens rarely—which makes it all the more important."

The reason for Heart Seonsaengnim's tears. It all comes together in my head, especially keeping in mind where we're standing. With Jungkook all around us, I feel like I'm both invading his space and having him invade me. All that's missing is his lithe form sitting on the couch, watching me with those careful eyes.

Heart Seonsaengnim breathes in through her nose, drying her eyes with her sleeve. "Karma, we know you and Jungkook were close. It wasn't always like that. We remember the days when it seemed like you two were growing to hate each other."

"Those were days I won't like to remember," Caren Seonsaengnim says.

I wait for any one of them to continue. When they don't, I rest my back against the door closed behind me. The coolness almost reminds me of Jungkook's touch, his hand resting against my spine before we completed a complex dance sequence or formation.

"What is it?" I say. "Don't tell me...."

"Yes," Caren Seonsaengnim says. "We thought you were incredibly brash by kicking Jungkook out of the group. We want you to ask him to come back."

The meeting has turned into me being cornered, and although the exit is right behind me, it feels as though I'm trapped. I hold my ground. "I believe I made the right decision. Jungkook would've never fit into the Fates long term. He was always meant to leave."

"Was he?" Caren Seonsaengnim says, a twitch dancing across her left eyebrow.

Just when I even dare myself to think about Jungkook being in the Fates forever, Heart Seonsaengnim comes in with a softer voice. "We don't see what your group had very often. We were skeptical too, about whether Jungkook joining would work. But what you girls and he put on the stage—that was pure magic. We don't want to lose that."

The image of me on my knees, begging Jungkook to come back, is entirely unwelcome. I balk. "I'm not doing it. With all due respect, I'm totally against asking him to come back to the Fates."

"If I was the CEO," Caren Seonsaengnim says, "I would make the executive decision for him to stay. For good."

"For good?" I echo, trying not to add an incredulous lilt. "I don't think he would've stayed for more than two months max."

"Maybe," Caren Seonsaengnim says. "Or maybe he could've always been part of the group, maybe in a small way. A constant way."

I imagine Jungkook being in the Fates when the girls and I approach thirty. It's a strange vision, one that I've never allowed myself to imagine.

"No," I hear myself say.

Caren Seonsaengnim butts her face forward, like she's about to rip me a new one. Before she can, Heart Seonsaengnim rests a hand on her elbow. The two draw back, and the room minimizes to something suffocating.

"I had a feeling this would be your response," Caren Seonsaengnim says. "Anyway, last thing. Jungkook wants you and the girls to have this room."

"This room?" I parrot, almost mortified.

"Yes," she replies. "Think of it as a parting gift."

She leaves quickly, not giving me space to give a proper goodbye.

Heart Seonsaengnim stays longer. She places a gentle hand on my shoulder. "Think about it," she almost whispers.

Then, it's just me in Jungkook's studio. Everything is familiar and foreign. What tastes like regret crawls down my throat, even though I'd forever deny it.

I made the right decision. I can't go back on what I believe—that the Fates are now three.

A/N: Hi! Hope you enjoyed our two favorite instructors making the case for Jungkook.

As August fully hits and Jungkook's iconic LIVES continue to fill my YouTube, I'm even more motivated to learn Korean. Is anyone else learning? I'd love to watch one of BTS' LIVES one day and understand every word.